Drew's Views: Small market advantage

Posted 3/7/01

Drew's Views: Small market advantage

The first pleasant surprise of the spring for the Twins continues to show its face every day. Who would of thought that having the smallest payroll in baseball would have its advantages but it does. What you ask is the Twinkies secret advantage? Well, not having a big name player means not having to deal with the whiner complaining and demanding more money and this trend has been an everyday occurrence for other Major League teams this season.

If you are like me and you respect the game, chances are pretty good you are already sick of the greed that you have witnessed in the last three months. Not that the Texas Rangers started all of this when they decided to pay Alex Rodriguez a trillion dollars but they certainly made some players around the league take notice. It is like a domino effect and I am going to attempt to show you what has happened since the record setting deal, just to show how really fortunate the Twins are in that they donít have to deal with it.

Well, since Rodriguez is a shortstop, when he struck the deal that meant Derek Jeter had to be shown the money as well. What followed was the Yankees giving him a contract worth 100 some million dollars. Even before this, Manny Ramirez was signed by the Boston Red Sox for just under 200 million. These are the only two real examples that I can come up with that actually ended in a deal. Even though they were paid ungodly amounts of cash, a topic for another article, these two players signed with few hassles. Iíll bet other teams wish they could say that.

Since then players like Frank Thomas, Barry Bonds, Albert Belle, Sammy Sosa, and Gary Sheffield have caused havoc to their clubs. All of these marquee players look at how much they are being paid as a status symbol, where they rank among the stars of the league. Because of that, each player will consistently try to outdo the other until the money literally runs dry.

Take Gary Sheffield for example. Here is a player who has put up all-star type numbers every where he has gone but still, he has been through four major league organizations and is on his way to his fifth. Every year, he sees other players getting paid the money he covets. This season he is once again asking for more money and that request will once again send him packing, a situation that not only takes away the dignity of the game but it also destroys the chemistry of the team.

Now take the Twins for example. Here is a club that is filled with role players, average at best compared to the rest of the league. These players know where they rank compared to the rest of the league and because of that, for the most part, each season every Twin reports to camp without incident.

I know that this is only a moral victory to us Twins fans but it is a victory none the less. Just look at the Vikings and their salary cap problems. One team full of whiners is enough. As far as I am concerned, I will take a .500 record from a team of good guys over a really good team full of arrogant diseases any day. But then again, thatís just me.